Extreme tension to the finish. Daniel Ticktum (GB) from the Volkswagen customer team Motopark with VEB has recorded a surprising and historic win at the prestigious Formula 3 Grand Prix in Macau. The British driver only moved into the lead from third place on the home stretch after Volkswagen drivers Ferdinand Habsburg (A/Carlin) and Sérgio Sette Câmara (BR/Motopark) had slid into the tyre wall whilst battling for the lead on the final turn. Habsburg was able to continue and claim fourth place, but Sette Câmara had to retire. Formula 3 European champion Lando Norris (GB/Carlin) crossed the finish line behind Ticktum to complete the one-two result for Volkswagen. Third place went to Ralf Aron (EST/Dallara-Mercedes). This was the tenth win for Volkswagen as an engine manufacturer at the official FIA Formula 3 World Cup.
Nothing but thrills: tight battle for supremacy “powered by Volkswagen”
Volkswagen drivers were always involved in the battles for the leading positions at the 64th edition of the street race in the Chinese Special Administrative Region of Macau. Joel Eriksson (S/Motopark) went past polesitter Callum llott (GB/Dallara-Mercedes) from the start. However, both drivers missed their braking points shortly thereafter and fell back down the order. This benefited Volkswagen driver Sette Câmara, who now moved into the lead ahead of Maximilian Günther (D/Dallara-Mercedes) and Habsburg. Lando Norris, starting from seventh place, had worked his way up to fourth position by this stage. While Sette Câmara was able to defend his slender lead and fend off the attacks mounted by Günther, Habsburg lay in wait behind Günther and produced a nice manoeuvre to overtake the German driver. Another Volkswagen driver provided a further highlight. Daniel Ticktum, who would go on to win the race, pulled out of Norris’ slipstream on the long straight of the penultimate lap, overtaking the British driver and Günther, who was on the inside, to take third place. A decisive manoeuvre on the way to victory in Macau.
A varied starting field at the highlight of the season: six Volkswagen drivers in the top ten
The Formula 3 Grand Prix in Macau was a success all the way down the line for Volkswagen: a total of 12 young drivers were competing with Dallara chassis “powered by Volkswagen”. Six of these made it into the top ten. In addition to Norris in third and Habsburg in fourth place, Sacha Fenestraz (BR/Carlin) crossed the line in seventh, followed by Tadasuke Makino (J/Motopark) in ninth and Jehan Daruvala (IND/Carlin) in tenth. Despite his accident on the final turn, Sérgio Sette Câmara was awarded 13th place, but Devlin Defrancesco (GB/Carlin), Yuhi Sekiguchi (J/B-Max Racing), Kenta Yamashita (J/B-Max Racing), Joel Eriksson and Marino Sato (J/Motopark) did not see the chequered flag.
FIA Formula 3 World Cup in Macau, Result
- Daniel Ticktum (GB), Dallara Volkswagen 15 laps
- Lando Norris (GB), Dallara Volkswagen + 0,568 sec.
- Ralf Aron (EST), Dallara Mercedes + 1,763 sec.
- Ferdinand Habsburg (A), Dallara Volkswagen+ 1,953 sec.
- Maximilian Günther (D), Dallara Mercedes + 4,463 sec.
- Sacha Fenestraz (BR), Dallara Volkswagen + 5,386 sec.
- Tadasuke Makino (J), Dallara Volkswagen + 7,626 sec.
- Jehan Daruvala (IND), Dallara Volkswagen + 10,455 sec.
- Sérgio Sette Câmara (BR), Dallara Volkswagen – 1 lap
